I was sold some birds year before last that were all Silver Pencilled and supossidly pure. I bred from them last year and got just 5 chicks (lots of fertility issues) All the chicks were silver, 2 females 3 males, so I was assuming the birds were pure.

This year I have one of last years males back with the first 2 females and last years hens with their fataher. Assuming all are pure this should onlly produce Silver chicks.

As I have both Partridge and silver pencilled birds I have been hatching mixed batches of eggs and as I expect I have both Silver and partridge chicks.
Last night I had an email from someone who had bought eggs and they have told me they have partridge chicks! Now it turns out the birds have just hatched and personally I think they look excatly the same when they hatched, so I have asked that they wait a week until they have the flights through and then let me know.

Am I going mad, there should be no reason these birds are not silver? I have a batch due to hatch next week where only silver birds are in the incuabtor so I will know for sure when they feather up.
The other obvious is that I sent her the wrong eggs, but I really don't think I did that.

Panic over, my birds hatched last week and I can now see they are all Silver, also have not had a reply from the person who complained so I assume they can now see theirs are all silver too as they will have feathered up!
They are breeding true just as they should do!